Pouring spout and strainer



y 22, 4- J. F. HURLEY 1,959,584

POURING SPOUT AND STRAINER Filed May 11, 1932 INVENTOR. BY Jay/v Eflu/eLEr ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 22, v 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT} oFFlcE This invention relates to and has for a purpose the provision of a device which can be readily applied to a conventional can or container for lacquers, paints or other liquids, to efficiently function as a pouring spout enabling the contents of the container to be conveniently poured therefrom, all to the end of preventing the contents of the can from flowing down the side wall of the container and filling the usual sealing groove around the mouth of the container during the pouring operation, with the resulting messy condition of the container and waste of the contents, as well as the difiiculty involved in properly replacing the cover, should the liquid'not be removed from, or become hardened in, the sealing groove.

It is another purpose of the invention to provide a pouring attachment for containers which may or may not embody a straining element, which in its association with the pouring spout enables the contents of a container to be strained of any foreign or solid matter during the pouring operation.

It is a further purpose of the invention to provide a pouring spout which can be instantly attached to and removed from a container, and which together with the straining element is of extremely simple and inexpensive construction so as to enable it to be given away with a purchase or sold separately at a negligible cost.

Only one form of the invention will be described in the following specification, while the novel features thereof will be pointedout in claims.

In the accompanying drawing, I

Figure 1 is a view in longitudinal section showing the invention applied to a can;

Figure 2 is a view in front elevation of the 40 invention applied to the can;

Figure 3 is a reduced'scale view of the pouring spout in rear elevation;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating the detachable connection between the pouring spout and a container.

Referring specifically to the drawing, wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts in each of the several views, this invention comprises a spout S constructed of cardboard, metal or other inexpensive sheet material which is preferably flexible. The spout is which is resilient is constructed of a length of spring wire bent into curved or arcuate form with its ends projecting laterally to provide arms 1010 for a purpose to be later described. A strip 11 of flexible material, such as fabric, is folded upon itself along a medial longitudinal line so as to be of U-form in cross section and receive in the bight 12, thus produced, the arcuate attaching member A with the arms 11 of the latter projecting from the ends of the strip.

The flaps 13, produced by folding the strip upon itself, receive therebetween the inner end of the spout S, and are permanently secured to the latter either by sewing or by a suitable adhesive, so as to secure the member A to the spout with 7 the member extending along the marginal edge ofthe spout at the inner end of the spout. It will be clear that the normal arcuate form of the member A supports the flexible spout in its concave-convex form; and it is to be noted that 7 the lengths of the member, the strip 11, and the spout at its inner end are such that they extend through ar angle somewhat in excess of one hundred eighty degrees. I

The arms 10-10 of the member A are adapted to be gripped between the fingers of an operators hand to contract the member sufficiently for it to be inserted into the circular mouth 14 of a conventional can C or other container, such as provided for paints, lacquers and various 3 other liquids. The inner peripheral wall 15 of such containers is usually bent inwardly upon itself at its outer marginal edge for reinforcement purposes; and this construction forms an internal annular shoulder 16 on the wall. With 9 the member A inserted into the container mouth. 14 and then released, the member under its normal tendency to expand will engage the wall 15 for coaction with the latter and with the shoulder 16 in detachably securing the spout to 9 the container mouth with the spout projecting from the latter for pouring of the contents of the container.

a As the member A is tightly expanded against the wall 15 of the container mouth, the joint 1 between the member and the wall will be eifectively sealed against leakage of the contents during the pouring operation. It will be mam fest that the spout can be readily removed from the container by contracting the member A,'1 1 and that the spout can be easily cleaned for reuse if desired.

In conjunction with the spout, a straining element E canbe employed to strain any foreign or. solid matter from the liquid being-poured.

65 end of the spout and adapted to be contracted deform the spout for insertion into the mouth board, metal or other flexible material.

The straining element comprises a frame 17 of substantially semi-annular form preferably extending through an angle in excess of one hundred eighty degrees and constructed of card- The frame is flared in cross section; and secured thereto adjacent its outer peripheral edge by stitching 18 is a sheet. of perforate material 19 such as fabric which spans the frame as shown in Figure 2. 1

Due to the flaring form of the frame, it projects' laterally from the sheet 19 to provide space" between the two. for the reception of the discharge end of the spout. As the frame extends through an angle somewhat greater than one hundred and eighty degrees, it is necessary that the spout be contracted slightly in the manner of the member A in order to enable the straining element to be applied to the discharge end of the-spout which normally conforms in contour to the frame. Upon releasing the spout, it returns to its normal concave-convex form determined by the memberA and thus confines the straining element against-displacement with the frame 17 held tightly against the underside of the spout and the sheet 19 stretched taut across the outer end of the spout so as to effectively strain and collect any particles in the.

, liquid during the pouring operation. The straining element can be attached to or detached from the spout as desired, and can readily be cleaned for re-use, although the inexpensiveness of the device renders this unnecessary as the device could be given away with a can of paint, lacquer or other liquid, and its slight cost compensated for by advertising matter on the spout. The pouring attachment as above described eliminates the waste of the liquid contents as well as avoids the messy condition of the container caused by the accumulation of the liquid on the side wall of the container, and in the usual sealing groove 20 for the cover (not shown) bounding the mouth 14 of the container.

What is claimed is:

1. A pouring attachment for containers comprising a spout of flexible material; and a resinent attaching member carried by the spout and adapted to be contracted to deform the spout for insertion of the spout and member into the mouth of a container so as to co-act therewith in securing the spout to the container when said member is released.

2. A pouring attachment for containers comprising a spout of flexible material; a resilient attaching member carried by the spout and adapted to be contracted to deform the spout for insertion of the spout and member into the mouth of a container so as to co-act therewith in securing the spout to the container when said member is released, and means on the member adapted to be engaged by the fingers of an operator to contract the member.

3. A pouring attachment for containers comprising a spout of flexible material; and a resilient attaching member of arcuate form on one to deform the spout for insertion into the mouth of a container so that upon release of the member, the latter will expand the spout into sealing engagement with the container and will secure the spout to the container.

4. A pouring attachment for containers comprising a spout of flexible material; a resilient attaching member of arcuate form on one end of the spout and adapted to be contracted to of a container so that upon release of the member, the latter will expand the spout into sealing engagement with the container and will secure the spout to the container, and laterally pro- Jecting arms on the ends of the member adapted to be engaged by the fingers of an operator to contract the member.

5. A pouring attachment for containers comprising a trough like spout of flexible sheet material; a resilient attaching member of arcuate form; and means for securing the member to one end of the spout so as to extend along the marginal edge of the latter while rendering the member free to be contracted to deform the spout for application to the mouth of a container.

' 6. A pouring attachment for containers comprising a trough-like spout of flexible sheet material; a resilient attaching member of arcuate form; means for securing the member to one end of the spout so as to extend along the marginal edge of the latter; while rendering the member free to be contracted to deform the spout for application to the mouth of a container and arms projecting laterally from the ends of the member by which the latter can be I form; and a flexible strip of U-form in cross section receiving the member in the bight of the strip and receiving and secured to one end of the spout 'so as to secure the member to the spout with the member extending along the marginal edge of the spout.

8. A pouring attachment for containers comprising a spout; and a resilient attaching member on the spout, insertable into the mouth of a container and conforming to the contour of the wall of the mouth for co-action therewith in securing the spout to the container with the joint between said wall and the member sealed by the latter.

9. A pouring and straining attachment for containers comprising a spout; and a strainer comprising a frame; and a sheet of perforate material spanning and secured to the frame with the latter projecting laterally from the sheet and conforming to the contour of the discharge and of the spout to receive the latter between the frame and sheet for co-action .in frictionally holding the strainer on the spout.

10. A pouring attachment for containers comprising a spout in the form of a portion of a cone frustum and constructed of flexible material to render it contractible for insertionin'to --the mouth of a container; the inner end of the spout being of a contour. adapted to conform to that of the wall of the container when the innerend of the spout is released in the mouth; said inner end of the spout extending through an angle exceeding one hundred and eighty degrees so as to render the spout self-supporting against radial displacement inwardly of the container mouth; and means on said inner end of the spout adapted for co-action with an internal shoulder in the container mouth, to prevent displacement of the spout axially outward of the mouth, whereby to secure the spout to the container with the spout projecting from the container and the joint between the two sealed.

11. A pouring attachment for containers comprising a spout of flexible material flaring towards its outer end and contractible at its inner end for insertion into the mouth of acontainer; the inner end of the spout being of a contour adapted to conform to the contour of the inner wall of the container mouth when the spout is released therein; said inner end of the spout extending through an angle exceeding one hundred and eighty degrees so as to render the spout self-supporting against radial displacement inwardly of the container mouth; and means on said inner end of the spout adapted for co-action with an internal shoulder in the container mouth, to prevent displacement of the spout axially outward of the mouth, whereby to secure the spout to the container with the joint between the two sealed.

JOHN F. HURLEY. 

